Trolley-wheel.



G. P. MURCH. l TROLLEY WHEEL. APPLICATION LED DEO.7,191&

Patented N ov. 12,1912.

M11 oo LA 5J 9 8 represents the anti-friction roller retainer retener.. l

and to prolong the life of the trolley wheel.

olthe wheel, and bear on the axle.

illTED .@Tfklll@ PATENT' FlTlE.

GEORGE F. MUR-CH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

Specification of Letters Patent.

TROLLEY-VHEEL.

`Patented Nov. 12, 1912.

Application led December 7, 1910. Serial No. 596,051.

T0 Ulli/)hom it may concern:

e it. known that I, Geenen F. MURCH, a citizen ot the United States, residing in the borough ot' Manhattan of the city of New York,'in the State of New York, have iny vented certain new and useful `lmprovel ments in Trolley-VVheels, of which the tollowing is a specification.

The primary object ot my invention is to provide a trolley` wheel that'shall be -completely and etfectually insulated from the 'axle or spindle on which it is revolved.

The further objects of the invention are l to provide suitable anti-friction bearings for the trolley wheel, to overcome thedilli culties oi lubrication, to prevent sparking,

Theinvention vconsists in the new and novel features of construction and combinations ot parts hereinafter set forth and claimed: i

In the .accompanying drawings: Figure lis a vertical section ot' a trolley wheel embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same partly in section. Fig.

and separating device. a detail View of the same.

The trolley7 wheel l is mounted Ona pole` 9- comprising forks 3 constructed .in the usual manner. The wheel is rotatable upon the fixed axle or spindle il secured in the forks of `the trolley7 in any suitable manner, as by the cotter pins 5. The wheel is mounted upon anti-friction rollers? which are made vof any suitable non-conducting I material, such as liber. The trunnions 8 of these rollers are suitably spaced and retained by the lloating retainer 9, which has its central opening' ot` sufficient diameter' to prevent contact withvthe axle. The trolley wheel rotates upon the segments of the trunnions which project above the periphery of the retainer. AThe rollers are confined Fig. l represents vand at the same in a suitable recess 10 provided in the hub In order to conduct the current from the wheel to the pole, suitable disks or strips l2 ot' conducting material are secured by any suitable means to the trolley pole, and engage with the trolley7 wheel. Such Adisk is provided with a large central opening, so that it does not Contact with the axle 4.

n'operation the weight ot the trolleyl wheel is transmitted to the axle through the f trunnions and the rollers which rest directlyt upon the, axle. These rollers contact with andV traveltaiifound the axle, having' motion' imparted thereto by the trunnioris` which are directlyin engagement. with the trolley wheel. i

and friction is ,greatly reduced, since `the trolley wheel contacts only with the projecting surfaces ot the trunnions, which themselves teud to rotate in the same direction rate ot speed as the trolley wheel.

l By means of the construction the current is taken from the trolley wheel directly to the t'rolley pole through a path entirely independentv of and insulated from the axle, and since the axle does not form a part ot' .the circuit, all sparking', with the attendant injurious ell'ects upon the axle is prevented.

` Very little lubrication is required, and as there lsno sparking the lubricant is not destroyed. Also friction is greatly reduced by the construction and arrangement of the bearing. l

lt is obvious that various changes, in the details of construction shown in the drawings may be made without'departing from the spirit ofthe invention, provided the means setforth in the following claims be employed.

I claim as my invention:

l. The combination of a trolley, pole, an axle secured to ,said pole, atrolley'wheel, electrically non-conducting bearings for said trolley wheel, comprising rollers out of engagement with the wheel, of non-conducting material rotatable on the axle and said rollers having trunnions of reduced diameter out of engagement with the axle which engage with and support said trolley wheel and hold same out of contact with the axle, retainers held out of contact with the axle and havinrestricted openings engaging saidV trunnions so as to permit segments thereof to project beyond the periphery -of the retainers to bear on the trolley wheel, and means for conducting an electric current from the trolley wheel toy the trolley pole independently of the-axle. i

2. The combination with a trolley pole, a

non-rotatable axle secured to said trolley pole, and a trolley wheel having a recess, of

' a bearing tor said trolley wheel comprising non-conducting rollers rotatable on said axle in said recess and out of engagement with the wheel, trunnions secured to said rollers, a retainer held out of Contact with l trolley pole.

3. The combination of a trolley pole, un i axle lsecured thereto, :in annular Wheel, a I plurality of rollers arranged circumferentially around said axle and having trunnions of reduced diameter at the ends ,ther-eer",

This specification signed rings out of contact said axle receiving -15 said trunnions, said trunnions pro3ect1ng= beyond the edges of scid rings and rolling 0n the inner side of: siidwheel,v said Wheel being insulated froni seid'aXle through said rollers, and means for conducting current 20 from said Wheel to said pole.

l and witnessed this 28th day ofi' November, A. D.- i910.

GEORGE F. MURGH.

' Signed in the presence ol AMBR'OSE L.l OSHEAg l N. A. SMITH.'

Copies of this patent maybe obtained for ve cents each, vby addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

